What came after the 10 Commandments? How did God's people respond? Well... they built a big tent. Why? The primary goal of Exodus is namely that God would be with his people and that they might experience his Glory. For the most part, that word has few practical uses in our modern, daily lives and probably is not very compelling for many of you. And yet Paul wrote: "so whatever you do, whether you eat or drink, do it all for the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31). If glory is not only included in something as mundane as eating our daily meals, but it is the very reason we do it... what are we missing?
Discussion Questions
show me your glory
God had already done so much for Moses. What is Moses’ concern in v.15 and what does he ask of God in v.18? Have you ever asked God for something so significant? What was the occasion? Compare that moment with your normal, default mode of relating to God. What are we missing when we try to coast-along with God, in the distance, on-call?
The Hebrew word for glory (pronounced kuh-BODE) carries a meaning of weight and significance, and the Scriptures repeatedly teach that this is what we are designed for (1 Corinthians 10:31). Since “glory” is not a common term in our daily lives, what terms do you use instead? When you think about your regular talk, what are you most inclined to give glory? Use your more common terms in your answer.
In Weight of Glory, CS Lewis said that we not only want to behold the beauty of stars or the ocean, but we yearn to take it into ourselves and unite with it. What does that reveal about our need for daily glory? How does our yearning for glory affect us when those weighty things are lost - or even if they are achieved yet prove unfulfilling? Can you say one of your modern-day idols out-loud? How does that play out in terms of the Lewis quote?
it'll kill you
God does not have a body, so what might He be conveying with the face metaphor in verse 20? How do we regard each other’s faces when seeking relationship? Eye contact is hard for us, yet we crave to lock eyes with others in deep conversation, in a romantic sense, or when we’re trying to be heard. What does the face mean?
How can God's "face" kill Moses (v.20)? Why does Isaiah say he is "undone" through seeing God (Isaiah 6:5)? Why does a prophet talk about his "unclean lips"? What failures or comparisons from your occupational field unravel you?
Isaiah's confession appears to acknowledge that he had only given lip-service to God. As a prophet, how might he be tempted to "use" God to make himself look good or have better standing? What is the difference between finding God "useful" and finding him beautiful in and of himself? Ironically, Isaiah was using his "goodness" to push God away. What are specific ways you do that today? How can your 'goodness' be killing you?
cleft of the rock
After making it clear that Moses has no standing, God provides a shelter for Moses. What does God's demeanor toward Moses - despite highlighting his failures - convey about God's heart toward moral failures? How might this provision point forward to the tabernacle (the theme of Ex.25-40) as a place for the people to meet with God? Do you find safety with God in your failures, or do you turn elsewhere for reassurance? Do you turn inward?
Instead of obliterating Moses with His glory, what does God seem to want for Moses? We see God both silence and welcome questions at different times (e.g., Job, Abraham in Genesis 18). What was God’s agenda for Moses during his questions? What might God’s agenda be for you right now?
What do we learn about God's glory in John 1:14 and John 17:5, 22? How did Jesus make that glory that should have killed us accessible instead? If that "weight and significance" is meant to come into our lives, how does that address our feelings of insignificance and emptiness? If CS Lewis was right about our need to drink in the beauty of stars or the ocean or a romantic relationship, how is this the answer to that deep desire? Is this tangible and meaningful to you, or vague and out of your grasp?
GOSPEL: On the cross, Jesus set aside his glory - "mild he lays his glory by!" - and was treated as a nobody, an insignificant, so that nobodies like you (all of us) would know you matter. The only opinion in the universe that matters has deemed you invaluable. And this is his glory: that he proves how significant he finds us through his own humiliation.
Emerging from our insecurities and feelings of inadequacy, how do accept and express God’s glory through our lives now? If God says "you matter", why does that sometimes feel distant? How can we draw that near - nearer than the other voices in our lives that lead us to doubt (especially if that voice is within us)? Read 2 Corinthians 3:17-18. How does knowing God's agenda for our future - especially that he will accomplish that in our lives - help us overcome now?
May God's glory fill you with joy today.
